Optical Scanner Housing Seal for Dustproof Wire Harness Routing
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Existing image forming apparatuses face challenges in preventing dust from entering the optical scanning unit, particularly through the wiring path of the wire harness, which is crucial for maintaining the functionality of the optical scanner and electronic components.
Innovation Solution
A dustproof structure is implemented for the wiring path of the wire harness using a protruding inner and outer frame portions in the optical scanning unit's housing, which narrows the air passage and prevents dust ingress without the need for elastic members like rubber or foam, ensuring a simple and effective sealing mechanism.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Object-affected harmful factors
If elastic members like rubber or foam are used to seal the gap between main housing and cover portion, then dust-proofing is improved, but device complexity and vibration transmission increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent removes elastic sealing members (rubber or foam) from the sealing structure, extracting the harmful element that causes vibration transmission while maintaining dust-proofing functionality through a purely mechanical sealing approach using frame portions
Solution Approach 2:
The sealing structure is segmented into multiple frame portions: a first frame portion on the main housing, a second frame portion on the cover portion, and intermediate frame portions that create multiple narrow passages. This segmentation replaces the single elastic member with a distributed mechanical sealing system
2Object-affected harmful factors
If elastic members are used to seal the wiring path, then dust-proofing is improved, but vibration transmission to optical components increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts elastic sealing members from the wiring path sealing structure, eliminating the medium that transmits vibration to optical components while maintaining dust exclusion through narrow passages formed by frame portions
3Force
If a simple sealing mechanism without elastic members is used, then vibration transmission is reduced, but dust-proofing efficacy may be compromised
Solution Approach 1:
The patent creates multiple narrow passages in series (vertical passage and horizontal passage) formed by intermediate frame portions, using dimensional arrangement to achieve effective dust blocking without relying on elastic deformation, thus reducing vibration transmission while maintaining dust-proofing
Data Source
AI summary
A cover closes a first opening of a main box portion. A second opening is formed in a unit housing of an optical scanning unit to externally expose a connector mounted on an electronic board. The unit housing has a protruding inner frame portion and a wiring portion. The protruding inner frame portion protrudes from an outer surface of the unit housing and surrounds the second opening. The cover includes a protruding outer frame portion that protrudes from an inner surface of the cover and surrounds the protruding inner frame portion. A top portion of the protruding inner frame portion is formed along an inner-side portion of the protruding outer frame portion on an inner surface of the cover. A top portion of the protruding outer frame portion is formed along an outer-side portion of the protruding inner frame portion on the outer surface of the unit housing.